It’s being billed as the only chance you’ll get to hear such a variety of historic electric guitars played live and loud by some of the best guitar players in the country and, fittingly, it’s being held at the epicentre of guitar music in London – Denmark Street, on the edge of Soho, at The Lower Third music venue.
From 1959 Les Paul Standards played by the likes of Mick Taylor of the Stones to Golden Era Fenders in ultra-rare Custom Colours, the Legendary Guitars event, which takes place on the evening of Wednesday, September 16, offers a one-off opportunity to hear the guitars by which all others are measured by played by some of the best guitarists in Britain, accompanied by expert commentary on the guitars’ history and heritage from leading guitar authors and historians.
Speaking in the run-up to the event, which takes place in less than two weeks, Chris Buck said:
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“Opportunities to play and hear iconic, museum-grade instruments in all their glory are few and far between. As such, it’s easy to forget that they are exactly that – instruments meant to be played and enjoyed.
“You can read about their history and specs all you want, but ultimately, the interesting bit comes when you plug it in and see why it inspired such great music.
“Couple that with Denmark Street being one of those iconic London landmarks where the weight of history and expectation is almost palpable, and you’ve got the perfect storm. ‘Don’t f**k it up, Chris!’”
To whet your appetite for this mouthwatering bill of legendary guitars and stellar players, here are three guitars that will be on show on the night you’ll definitely want to pay close attention to.
The Grainger ’Burst
Famously owned and played by Gary Grainger, who played it in Rod Stewart’s band in the late 1970s, this 1959-spec ’Burst (AKA sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard) emerged from Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory in 1960, making it a transitional model.
It has substantial play-wear just beneath the neck pickup in particular that bears witness to its years on the road and is known to be one of the better-sounding original ’Bursts out there, explaining why it was a go-to for Gary Grainger. Playing it for a Guitarist magazine vintage Les Paul shootout video back in 2023, Chris Buck said:
“I’ve been lucky enough to have played quite a few ’Bursts now, and this is the one I always find myself gravitating towards whenever anyone asks me what the pinnacle of Les Pauls is. To be honest, this is consistently the best one that I’ve played.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with this guitar, and as much as the gravitas or kudos of playing a ’Burst is never totally lost on me, having spent so much time with Grainger in lots of different settings, it does give me a little more objectivity about it in terms of not being totally blown away by the fact that it’s a ’Burst.”
Guitarist Tone Lounge demo guitarist Richard Barrett, who traded licks with Buck in the video, added, “The Grainger ‘Burst is not super-high output, but it’s got that sound.”
So if you want to hear what a genuinely great original ’Burst sounds like – even when compared to other Les Paul Standards from the late 1950s – head down to Denmark Street on September 16 to hear Chris Buck put it through its paces once again.
It’s not the only ‘Burst that will be on show – there’ll be the ex-Mick Taylor ‘Exile’ ‘Burst too, plus a first-year-of-issue 1958 Les Paul Standard, so you can leave knowing you’ve heard, direct from source, what all the fuss is about.
T-Bone Walker’s 1949 Gibson ES-5N
His playing influenced everyone from Hendrix to SRV, and gave Chuck Berry the inspiration for his swaggering showmanship. Texas-born bluesman T-Bone Walker was the godfather of electric blues, with a silk-smooth and droll vocal style and a fistful of licks that went on to form the very lexicon of modern blues guitar.
After moving to America’s West Coast in the 1930s, his star rose. The earliest publicity shots of T-Bone show him playing a Gibson ES-250, and this was the guitar he used for what remains his most influential single recording, Call It Stormy Monday, recorded in 1947 for the independent Black And White label.
However, the guitar that would become most synonymous with T-Bone was the 1949 ES-5N (the ‘N’ standing for Natural finish), which he began playing as his main instrument from August 1951.
From this point, as blues writer and jazz guitarist Denny Ilett wrote in Guitarist magazine, “there was a marked change in Walker’s tone [with this] full-size archtop that sported a cutaway and a trio of P-90 pickups. You can hear the difference on the likes of I Get So Weary, which features an out-of-phase tone made possible by the new guitar.”
You can see this very guitar, currently in the stewardship of famous Denmark Street guitar store Regent Sounds, being played on the night – one of the highlights of the Legendary Guitars show and a must for any fan of blues guitar.
Revolutionary Rickenbackers
The Legendary Guitars event will kick off with a presentation of Rickenbacker electrics with expert insights from Martin Kelly, co-author of Rickenbacker: Pioneers Of The Electric Guitar.
Speaking in a 2021 issue of Guitarist magazine, Kelly reminded readers of the design genius behind the Rickenbackers we know today, German emigrant luthier Roger Rossmeisl, who is especially notable for designing the Capri series of guitars that included some of the most iconic Ricky models ever built, including the 325, which was adopted by the Beatles and the 330 played by Pete Townshend of The Who, catapulting Rickenbacker to the forefront of ’60s pop culture.
“The Beatles were the spark,” confirms Martin. “Suddenly, you’ve got all these British bands in the US like The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, The Zombies and The Animals turning up on American TV shows playing Rickenbackers, and all these kids are going, ‘That’s a cool guitar!’ So many people I’ve interviewed told me, ‘I didn’t know it was an American guitar.’
“The British Invasion introduced this American brand to America, a bit like how The Stones did with the blues. It had to go to Britain to be made popular.
“Pete Townshend took it somewhere else. He really played the hell out of his Rose Morris six- and 12-string models. If you get a 12-string, you can play pick-y stuff like [Roger] McGuinn, but if you hit it hard, you can really get the sound of those early Who records.”
Martin will take the audience through the evolution of some iconic Rickenbackers, while explaining their historic connection to Denmark Street retailer Rose Morris. While Martin covers the history, the guitars will be demonstrated by the superb picking skills of Guitarist Tone Lounge demonstrator and ex-Tony Hadley guitarist Richard Barrett.
If all of the above sounds too good to miss (which it is), head down to the Legendary Guitars event at The Lower Third on Denmark Street in London on September 16.
Places are strictly limited, so book your tickets now.
